| Hackney 'Hawks' v Sheffield 'Tigers' | British League | 5th Oct 1973 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ref: L.R. Pike | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Tot+Bp |
| 1. Bengt Jansson | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1' | 7+1 | |||||||||
| 2. Geoff Maloney | 0 | 1 | 2' | 3 | 6+1 | |||||||||
| 3. Tommy Nilsson | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1' | 8+1 | |||||||||
| 4. Hugh Saunders | 0 | 1 | tps | - | 1 | |||||||||
| 5. Barry Thomas | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | |||||||||
| 6. Dave Kennett | 3 | 2' | ef | 0 | 2 | 7+1 | ||||||||
| 7. Laurie Etheridge | 1 | 3 | 1' | 5+1 | ||||||||||
| Len Silver | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Hackney 'Hawks' | 2 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 24 | 26 | 30 | 33 | 36 | 39 | |
| Sheffield 'Tigers' | 4 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 33 | 36 | 39 | |
| Terry Thornhill | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | |
| 1. Bob Valentine | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | |||||||||
| 2. Bengt Larsson | 1 | 2' | 1 | 0 | 4+1 | |||||||||
| 3. Reg Wilson | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6 | |||||||||
| 4. Doug Wyer | 2' | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5+1 | |||||||||
| 5. Arnold Haley | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | |||||||||
| 6. Bob Paulson © | 2 | 0 | ef | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
| 7. Craig Pendlebury | 0 | f | - | 0 | ||||||||||
| Track record = 64.2 Anders Michanek 29 June |
01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | |
| 65.6 | 68.0 | 68.8 | 67.6 | 67.0 | 68.0 | 68.0 | 68.4 | 70.2 | 69.6 | 66.2 | 67.6 | 67.0 | ||
Rick France was programmed at no.7 despite having an average which would make him third heat leader at most other clubs. He had picked up an injury following a fall at Wimbledon and his place was taken by Craig Pendlebury who had been having a good run with 2nd division Barrow. The Hawks had Bent Jansson returning from injury and Barry Thomas and Hugh Saunders had recently finished first and third in the prestigious London Riders Championship.
The Tigers took an early lead but were never more than four points ahead. Geoff Maloney and Laurie Etheridge took a maximum ahead of Bengt Larsson and Bob Paulson to level the scores in heat 8. Dave Kennett was excluded from heat 9 and Reg Wilson beat Barry Thomas in the rerun. Geoff Maloney beat Doug Wyer in heat 10 with Bengt Jansson ahead of the previously unbeaten Arnold Haley to draw level again. Bob Valentine was two seconds faster winning heat 11 but Bengt Larsson trailed home last. Arnold Haley bounced back to win heat 12 but Banger and Barney Kennett both outpaced Reg Wilson. Tommy Nilsson and Barry Thomas met Doug Wyer and Bob Valentine in a last heat decider and while Doug couldn't find his way past, neither could the Hawks as Bob Valentine sealed the draw and his maximum in the process.
| Final B.L. Division 1 table 1973 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Pts | |
| Reading | 34 | 25 | 1 | 8 | 51 |
| Sheffield | 34 | 22 | 3 | 9 | 47 |
| King's Lynn | 34 | 20 | 3 | 11 | 43 |
| Leicester | 34 | 21 | 0 | 13 | 42 |
| Ipswich | 34 | 19 | 3 | 12 | 41 |
| Belle Vue | 34 | 19 | 1 | 14 | 39 |
| Wolverhampton | 34 | 18 | 1 | 15 | 37 |
| Exeter | 34 | 16 | 3 | 15 | 35 |
| Halifax | 34 | 16 | 2 | 16 | 34 |
| Newport | 34 | 16 | 0 | 18 | 32 |
| Oxford | 34 | 14 | 2 | 18 | 30 |
| Wimbledon | 34 | 14 | 1 | 19 | 29 |
| Swindon | 34 | 13 | 3 | 18 | 29 |
| Poole | 34 | 13 | 2 | 19 | 28 |
| Coventry | 34 | 13 | 0 | 21 | 26 |
| Hackney | 34 | 11 | 4 | 19 | 26 |
| Coatbridge | 34 | 12 | 1 | 21 | 25 |
| Cradley | 34 | 7 | 4 | 23 | 18 |